MANILA, Philippines โ If youโre aiming for one of the countryโs highest-paid jobs, the latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that aviation and high-skilled tech occupations continue to dominate the wage ladder in 2024.
The PSAโs 2024 Occupational Wages Survey found that the average Filipino full-time worker earns โฑ21,544 per month. B
ut earnings vary sharply depending on industry and occupation.
Pilots remain highest paid
Aircraft pilots once again topped the list with an average monthly take-home pay of โฑ137,999, followed closely by air-traffic safety electronics technicians at โฑ131,536.
Chemical engineers completed the top three, earning an average of โฑ101,996, highlighting sustained demand for highly specialized technical roles.
Other high-paying occupations include mathematicians and financial professionals in insurance/pension sectors โ โฑ99,154; applications programmers (insurance/pension) โ โฑ96,360; web and multimedia developers in the entertainment industry โ โฑ79,064, applications programmers in telecommunications โ โฑ73,804, financial mathematicians (telecom) โ โฑ71,237;ย software developers in publishing โ โฑ66,180; and industrial and production engineers (energy sector) โ โฑ65,806.
Many of the top-paying jobs, PSA noted, fall under aviation, information technology, telecommunications, and specialized engineering, all sectors experiencing rapid modernization and high skill demand.
ICT workers top industries by average salary
When grouped by industry, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workers posted the highest overall average monthly wage at โฑ43,676, far above the national average.
On the other end, workers in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing earned the lowest average at โฑ14,615, underscoring long-standing structural wage inequalities in rural sectors.
Women earned slightly more than men in 2024
In a surprising finding, the PSA reported that female employees earned more on average than their male counterparts: โฑ22,236 vs โฑ21,009 per month.
Women out-earned men in 11 out of 17 regions, including the National Capital Region, Davao Region, and Western Visayas. In these areas, women earned at least 10% more than men on average.
Men earned higher wages in CALABARZON, CAR, and the Ilocos Region.
Why this matters
The data offers a snapshot of the Philippine job market as the country navigates post-pandemic recovery and rapid digital transformation. For jobseekers, the PSA says understanding occupational wages can help guide career decisions, training choices, and job mobility.
The survey covers full-time, time-rated workers in establishments with at least 10 employees, focusing on basic pay and regular allowances.
As wages remain a contentious issue amid rising living costs, the PSAโs findings point to a continuing divide: high-skill, high-tech jobs are pulling ahead, while many traditional sectors remain stagnant.
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